Tips on Buying and Installing Car Parts

The Savvy Guide To Test Driving A Car

A lot of motorists visit their local dealership, find their “perfect” vehicle, and drive it home only to regret their decision later. Aside from buying more vehicle than they can afford, the regret is often due to making a hasty decision. In truth, motorists are easily seduced into purchasing cars based on subjective factors. A vehicle’s sleek, flawless exterior combined with the new scent of its interior can be distracting.

This article will help you retain your objectivity when visiting your local dealer. I’ll describe how to properly test drive a vehicle to ensure that you don’t regret your purchase decision down the road.

Arrive At The Dealership Prepared

A little research goes a long way. Invest the time to look at professional reviews of the specific make and model you’re considering. Look at horsepower, fuel efficiency, and available space. Make a note about what reviewers thought of the car’s handling in a variety of driving circumstances. Also, memorize the model’s standard features as well as the options you prefer to avoid. When the salesperson greets you on the dealership lot, you’ll already have a great idea regarding what the automobile can and cannot do.

Set The Expectation

Salespeople sell. That’s their job. Unfortunately, they often try to do so while you’re test driving the car. In some cases, the information they’re giving you will be helpful; it can make your decision easier. However, the talking can also be extremely distracting. Ask the salesperson in advance to let you test drive without their talking during the ride. Explain that you’d prefer to concentrate on the driving experience rather than engaging in conversation.

Put It Through Its Paces

Doing a thorough test drive means taking a car on an assortment of road surfaces. You’ll want to drive on normal surface streets in order to test how smooth the ride is. But, you should also drive over bumpy terrain. That’s the best way to feel whether the suspension is solid.

Also, take turns at different speeds to check how well the vehicle hugs the road. Accelerate and stop quickly to check pedal response, engine power, and brake sensitivity. If you don’t put the car through its paces, you won’t know what it’s capable – or incapable – of doing.

Keep Your Comfort In Mind

You’re going to spend a lot of time inside whatever vehicle you purchase. You need to make sure you’ll be riding in comfort. Check to see how long it takes the air conditioner and heating unit to change the interior’s temperature. While you’re sitting in the driver’s seat, reach for all of the controls to check whether they’re comfortably accessible to you. Adjust the driver’s seat to see whether doing so is easy.

Don’t underestimate the value of doing a rigorous test drive. While knowing a car’s specs (i.e. horsepower, gas mileage, etc.) before arriving at the dealership is helpful, putting it through its paces should play a major role in your decision to buy.

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The Quick Guide To Your Car’s Axle Seal Replacement

If the axle seal on your car is worn or broken, you’ll be able to tell easily. You’ll notice an oil spot on your driveway that gets larger day by day. However, leaking oil can spell trouble for a differential and more importantly, your transmission. In this article, we’ll explore what happens when this part develops a problem. I’ll describe how to identify it and fix it.

Differentials: An Overview

Your vehicle’s differential is the part that takes the power coming from the transmission and drive shaft, and splits it between two wheels. In doing so, each wheel is allowed to turn at different speeds with equal torque.

In any car, the gears within the differential are required to mesh at very high speeds, thus the fabrication tolerances are extremely small and the lubricants are well-suited to “high shock” environments. Secondly, since the differential is connected to the transmission, the axle seal and gear oil function to keep rocks, dirt, and other debris from entering and causing serious damage.

Signs Of A Faulty Axle Seal

Many fluids can drip from your car and should be inspected accordingly, but a broken axle seal causes gear oil to drip. Gear oil has a distinct smell similar to rotten eggs (because of the sulfur content). In addition, gear oil is much thicker than similar lubricants in order to protect the gears as they move at high speeds. The viscous fluid is engineered to stick to the gears, providing maximum coverage and lubrication.

In many cases, a seal break isn’t the product of driver error or carelessness, but rather the actions of a mechanic or someone on the assembly line in the factory. If the axle is improperly removed or replaced, the seal is likely to rip in the process.

Replacement Of The Unit

To replace the torn seal, first pry it out of the differential. You can accomplish this by hand, but the better solution is to use a seal removal tool. Once you remove it, grab the replacement part and installation tool. Each installation tool will come with a set of rings; choose the one that is able to fit snugly into the mount point and slightly smaller than the seal itself. Finally, insert the tool into the mount on the differential and firmly tap with a hammer to fix the part. If you accidentally tap it too hard, the replacement could become deformed or tear a second time.

Depending on your vehicle, test the differential movement after the install to ensure everything is meshing properly. Then, replace the differential cover and reinstall the axle. As a final precaution, take the car for a quick drive to make sure everything is working correctly.

If you have worked on cars before, you should be able to perform this job easily. Of course, as I always suggest, take your vehicle to a trained mechanic if you’re uncertain of your ability. When it comes to this part, spending a few dollars is worth the peace of mind.

Are Certified Used Vehicles Here To Stay?

Over a decade ago, the first certified vehicles began appearing on a few dealership lots. Back then, it was a creative strategy for dressing up used cars so the dealers could remove the “used” part of the name. After all, a lot of vehicles that were in perfect condition were coming off short-term leases or being traded in by their owners. The dealers needed a way to take move the inventory without holding the resale value down by selling them as “used.”

Enter the certified vehicle. A car is inspected by a team of auto technicians in order to determine whether it’s in good enough condition to warrant being prepared for certification. Today, nearly every automaker certifies its vehicles as long as they have met certain conditions. In this article, I’ll explain the process of certification and what to do when you need to have repairs performed.

How A Car Receives Certification

When a model comes off a lease or is returned by its owner, a dealership will consider whether it’s a good candidate for certification. If it is, the car is entrusted to a team of auto technicians. That team will use special equipment to bring the parts, systems, and performance back to their original specs (or as closely as possible). Once their work is complete, a limited warranty is offered to make prospective buyers feel more comfortable.

How are candidates for certification chosen? First, each automaker has a given set of standards by which a car is measured before it is even considered. For example, it can’t be more than a certain number of years old. The odometer must not exceed a certain number of miles. If it passes the initial phase of tests, the model undergoes a rigorous inspection that includes review – and possibly upgrading – of all of its parts and systems.

Once the process has been completed, a limited warranty (usually 24 months) is offered to prospective buyers. Normally, the limited warranty will cover repairs and replacement of the powertrain, A/C unit, and the parts that comprise the electrical system.

When You Need To Have Repairs Done

Before purchasing a certified vehicle, find out what entity has offered certification. Drivers often think that an automaker has certified their car and are surprised to discover that the dealership actually did. The difference is that an automaker will cover the cost of any repairs covered by the warranty regardless of which dealership you visit. It doesn’t matter if you relocate in the future; if your powertrain malfunctions, you’ll have recourse.

Also, when you take your certified car in for repairs, make sure that you tell the auto mechanic about the certification and the underlying warranty. They often won’t know and won’t check.

Are pre-owned certified vehicles here to stay? Definitely. They represent a cost-effective alternative to newer models with the peace of mind that many used models cannot provide.

An Overview Of How Timing Belts Work

In past articles, we’ve talked about a variety of important car parts without which your vehicle could not operate. That includes the transmission, battery, and tires. Today, we’re going to discuss one of the most overlooked parts. In order to keep the engine operating properly, timing belts are used to synchronize the crankshaft and camshaft. Each timing belt is made for a specific engine type, providing the best possible coordination and valve timing.

Playing A Critical Role

Within the engine, valves and pistons are required to operate hand-in-hand to avoid damage and maintain power transfer. If the valves and pistons don’t cooperate, then damage will occur, but the severity will depend on the engine type. The type is determined by the distance between the pistons and valves, but the two variations are referred to as interference and non-interference.

In an interference engine, if the valves and pistons don’t work in sync, then the piston will collide with a valve, bending the piston rod, bending the valve, or completely destroying the piston assembly. On the other hand, non-interference engines will automatically shut off in the event of a belt failure.

How They Perform Their Job

The timing chain is placed around the camshafts, crankshaft, idler pulley, tensioner pulley, and water pump. Depending on the engine, the number of camshaft pulleys will vary, either in a single overhead or dual overhead cam configuration.

When the crank rotates, the crankshaft pulley is activated and begins to move the belt. By moving it, the camshaft pulleys are activated, triggering the movement of the valves up or down to correspond to the correct phase. Four-stroke motors progress in the following manner: intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust.

During the intake phase, the down stroke of the piston creates a vacuum that sucks a mixture of fuel and air into the cylinder. The camshaft is positioned at this time such that the intake valves are open while the exhaust valves remain closed. Next, as the crankshaft rotates and compresses the mixture, the camshafts move in response, closing all of the valves. After the fuel is combusted, then the resulting crankshaft movement prompts the camshaft to move and open the exhaust valves.

Maintenance and Precautions

In most cases, a timing chain will last at least 60,000 miles, and it is strongly recommended that you consult the owner’s manual for the average belt life. Replacing a timing belt, however, is not as easy as it may seem. In order to access the part, the surrounding assemblies must be removed. After installing the replacement, the mechanic must synchronize the crankshaft and camshaft, or else serious engine damage could occur.

If you need to replace this part, I recommend that you allow a mechanic to perform the work. I’ve seen too many jobs botched by owners who thought themselves capable. Unless you have experience in replacing the chain, invest in having the work by a trained auto technician.

Car Part, a cool car photo uploaded by: Silfverduk

Wheels in the snow not turning

Someday they will still be here tomorrow.

Wheels in the snow not turning!!